Don't be fooled by the sun-drenched pop sound of Alpine. Beneath the happy, whimsical chords and interesting rhythms of the Melbourne six-piece, darker issues are at play.

From anxiety attacks to uncontrollable stress, lead singers Phoebe Baker and Lou James have filled their bright and energetic music with what they call ''vulnerable lyrics''. That is, if you listen carefully.

''We both had different forms of panic attacks and it is so important to us to express it,'' Baker says as she sits next to James in a sunny Sydney courtyard.

''Young girls who do listen to it can think, 'I'm not alone,' and that's the best feeling when you're feeling anxious, for it to feel human.

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''You [can] feel like you're the only one and you're going crazy.''

But James thinks people might not get that straight away.

''You listen to the music and it sounds fun.''

The Vigour, a song from their debut album, A Is for Alpine, is exclusively about anxiety and fear. ''That idea [that] everything is too much,'' Baker says.

''A lot of the album is touching on quite dark, deep subject matter, even though it has a bright, poppy, instrumental sound.

''You do have that pop vibe and you can dance but there are also those little layers of truths.''

Meeting more than 10 years ago at school, the two lead singers gradually built a six-piece band around their wispy, almost angelic vocals.

This included Christian O'Brien, who was their guitar teacher at school. Ryan Lamb on bass, Tim Royall on keys and Phil Tucker on drums joined not long after.

Now the six friends, who are ''like siblings'', all live within 15 minutes of each other in Melbourne. ''We are definitely friends foremost and band second,'' Baker says, with a smile.

This deep connection within the band has contributed to their growing success, Alpine's leading ladies say.

''Everyone has a role in the band,'' James says.

''We all have day jobs and we all work really hard.

''That's part of being independent and we have a lot of control that some bands don't have.

''I guess we have a big blank canvas [and] we write what we want.

''Whatever sounds good and what we dig.''

And with influences spanning funk, jazz, rap, rock, ''underground stuff'' and ''some really old stuff'', the control Alpine have over their musical canvas appears to be working.

Britain's The Guardian even went so far as to label Alpine as ''hands down the best Aussie band we've heard all year".

But James is pragmatic about their growing fame.

''Everyone has this perception of us that it's all glamour and amazing, and we're just like students,'' she says.

''On the side we're working in retail jobs and saving up for the next tour.''

Neither is she calling their popularity sudden.

''I don't think we have had any step backwards or exploded,'' James says.

''We look back and it's been a really nice progression.

''We don't feel too overwhelmed by it all.

''People are still discovering us.''

This year the band, which has just been signed to the American Votiv label, will play at the Laneway Festival and then at headline shows in New York and Los Angeles, with an overseas tour support also on the cards.

''It's really satisfying when it all comes together because we feel like we've had a part in it,'' James says.

Alpine will play at the St Jerome's Laneway Festival at the Sydney College of the Arts on February 2. For more information, see sydney.lanewayfestival.com.au.